Grapple.



A. BRYANT.

GRAPPLE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, i915. v

' Patented Feb. 8,1916.

WIT/M8858:

INVENTOI? HLBERT BRYANT,

A TTORNEYS ALBERT BRYANT, F MOULTON, IAILAIBAIMIIA.

GRAPPLE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT BRYANT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Moulton, in the county of Lawrence, and State of Alabama, have invented an Im-' provement in Grapples, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to grapples and -more particularly to a grapple adapted for use in removing articles from wells. 0

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a grapple of this character which includes resillent elements heldapart by a trip mechanism which, when contacted by an obstacle, permits said elements to return to normal position where upon the article is securely held therebetween.

A further object is to provide means for retaining the elements in gripping position after the trip mechanism has been actuated 'ti'ating the invention, is shown in the accom-- panying drawing, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the grapple showing the gripping elements 1n distended position. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the elements in gripping position. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4: is a transverse section on the line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail perspectlve view of the trip ,mechanism used in connection with the invention.

Referring more particularly to the accoma panying drawing in which like reference characters indicate similar parts, the numeral 10 indicates a stock of any suitable length and made of any material desired, the same being provided at its up er end with a ring 11 for the rece tion o a supporting member 12, prefera ly chain. The lower portion of the stock 10 has secured thereto, by means of clamping bolts 13, the oppositely opposed clamping elements 14: which are preferably made ofa resilient metal such as steel. The upper portions of Specification of Letters Patent.

the elements lt are substantially semicircular as shown so as toembrace thestock 10,

The lower end of each elementlis provided for a distance-along its longitudinal edges with a plurality of inwardly extending teeth 15 provided, for the purpose of securely gripping the article therebetween when the elements are in closed position as shown in Fig. 2. The lower extremities of the gripping elements are sharpened as indicated at 15' in Fig. 3 so that the same maybe made. to

.ratemea Feb. 8,1916

Application Medium 3, 1915. Serial No. 31,927. v

easily penetrate the soft bottom of the well.

A trip mechanism is used in connection with the invention to releasably retainthe gripping elements in distendedposition and comprises a pair of cooperating arms 16 and 17 which are enlarged at their inner ends as indicated at 18 to provide a pivoted portion having openings therethrough for the reception of a link 19 for pivotallyconnecting the adjacent ends of the members together. Each member is also provided at its inner end with a shoulder 20 adapted to contact with each other whereby the members will assume the position shown in Figs. 1 and 6 when in operative osition so that the sameare free to be move upwardly but not down-' wardly. The link 19 hason'e end of a flexible connection 21, such as a chain connected thereto, the other end of which is securedto the reduced lower end 22 of the stock 10.-

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the device is set, as indicated in Fig. 1', and then inserted into a wel1,. i

should any portion ofthe trip mechanism come into contact with an obstacle the inner ends of the members comprising the trip will bemoved upwardly and release the outer" .95

ends thereof from contact with the inner adjacent faces of the gripping elements 1t whereupon the latter, owing to their resiliency, will quickly move to their normal po. sitions shown in Fig. 2 and grip the ob-' stacle therebetween.

In order to retain the gripping elements 14 in engagement with an article so that said elementsc'annot be accidentally spread apart by coming in contact with some other obstacle, 'or otherwise, a locking device is provided including a ring 23 adapted to encircle the gripping elements as clearly shown in Fig. 5. This ring 23 is suspended from the lower end 22 of the stock 10 by means of chains 24: the lower ends of which are connected to the ring-at diametrically,

opposite points. When the trip mechanism is set to distend the gripping elements, the ring lower end of said elements. The ring will then jam against the sides of the gripping elements and engage the same in such manner as to .render it difiicult to spread them apart. From this construction it will be apparent. that when it is desired to remove the articleirom between the gripping elements it is first necessary toslide the ring23 upward toward the position shown in Fig. 1 when it is possible to spread the gripping ends of the elements apart.

I. A grapple comprising a stock, gripping elements secured to one end of said stock and provided with inwardly extending teeth at their gripping ends, a flexiblev connection having one end secured to the inner end of said-stock, and a'trip mechanism carriedby the other end of said flexible connection and including arms pivoted at their inner ends, the outer ends of said arms being adapted to engage the adjacent faces of the gripping elements to retain the same in distended position and actuated by'contact with an obstacle to permit said gripping elements to move to normal gripping position.

2. A grapple comprising a stock, gripping I elements secured to one end of said stock and provided with inwardly extending teeth at their gripping ends, a flexible connection having one end secured to the inner end of said stock, a trip mechanism carried by the other end of said flexible connection and including arms pivoted at their inner ends, the outer ends of said arms being adapted to engage the adjacent faces of the gripping elements to retain the same in distended position and actuated by contact with an obstacle to permit said gripping elements to distended. v

ALBERT BRYANT. 

